


I Know How to Kiss, I've Read Books!

by SapphicPetunia



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: F/F, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I bet you didn't see that coming, I have never written anything like this before, Jack kind of has his shit together for once, Medda is their foster mom, because I didn't either, because what's a newsies modern au without sprace?, jack and spot are foster siblings, so now it's a badass multichapter, that didn't work out so hot, the rest of the newsies will probably show up at some point, there's some background sprace, this was supposed to be a one-shot, why did i think it would be a good idea to start a long term project, yes the title is a quote from b99
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-21
Updated: 2019-05-06
Packaged: 2019-11-01 21:23:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17875103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SapphicPetunia/pseuds/SapphicPetunia
Summary: Katherine is nervous about a date. Sarah offers to help her. Everything escalates from there.





	1. Chapter 1

"Katherine? You okay?" Katherine Pulitzer looked up to see her best friend Sarah Jacobs standing in front of her table in the student lounge. It was the end of the school day on Friday, and the students in the lounge were slowly filtering out to go home.

"Yeah?" Kath answered. "Why wouldn't I be okay?"

"Well, I just happened to notice that you've been pulling papers out of your binder and ripping them apart for the past five minutes."

Katherine looked down and found that she was indeed surrounded by shredded notebook paper. It was all over her table, some were on the floor, and when she stood up, a couple pieces fell off of her lap. Thankfully, none of it was important school work.

"I guess I'm just kind of nervous about my date tonight." Katherine said as she and Sarah kneeled on the ground to gather up the clutter.

"Ah, yes." Sarah smiled. "But are you excited?"

"I guess. I mean, it's _Jack Kelly_ , right? There’s no reason not to be."

By sheer dumb luck, they were sure, Sarah's introverted twin brother David had somehow made friends with one of the most popular guys in the school, Jack Kelly, a few weeks prior. After Jack and Katherine met once, the Jacobs siblings had decided that the two of them were perfect for each other, and persuaded them to be set up on a date.

"It's just..." Katherine trailed off.

"It's just what?" Sarah prompted after a few seconds.

"Well, I…" She lowered voice. "I've never kissed anyone before. I know, it's stupid."

"Kath, it's not stupid. Anyway, it's just a first date, you shouldn't get too worked up about that just yet." Sarah paused and glanced at her friend. "But, you know, if it's that big a deal to you, I could, like… maybe… teach you or something?"

The girls walked in silence over to the recycling bins to get rid of most of the evidence of Katherine's anxieties. They made it all the way back to the table and back out the lounge door with their bags before Sarah spoke again.

"You know what, that was a dumb idea anyway, we don't need to do that, or even acknowledge that I just said that."

"Sarah."

“Do you want to go grab something to eat? As friends! Not like as people who kiss each other, or…”

"Sarah." Katherine had to repeat the girl's name two more times before Sarah stopped her nervous rambling. "If that was, in fact, a real offer, I think I might take you up on it. If that's okay with you."

"It's okay with me," Sarah responded. "Is it okay with you?"

"Sarah, I'm the one who asked you."

"Actually, I was the one who brought it up."

"So it's fine with you?"

"Yes."

"Well, then it's fine with me."

"Good."

"Good."

"Do you want to wait until we leave school, or go find a dark closet and do it now?"

"I kind of want to get this done as soon as possible," Katherine said, like it was strictly business. _Which it is, what else would it be?_

Years ago, Katherine had been asked by her father to bring the head custodian a ring of keys. She did it, but not before going to the hardware store and making a copy of every key on it. She now had a key to every single room in the school, because you never know when you might need to get into a random supply closet. Being the principal's daughter did have its perks.

"Okay, first things first," Sarah said as soon as Katherine had closed the door, leaving them in the dark. "Do you know _anything_ about kissing?"

"Of course!"

Sarah waited a moment. "Really?"

"From books."

"Nerd."

"Sarah! You're supposed to be helping me!"

"Okay, okay. So, the first rule of kissing someone: Don't kiss them right away."

"The first ruling of kissing is _not_ kissing? Are you sure _you_ know how to kiss?"

"Kath, focus. Do you want my help or not?"

"Fine. Wrap your muscular arms around me and show me how to not kiss someone."

" _Katherine_."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Go ahead."

"So, first you need to mentally calculate what kind of kiss it's going to be. For example, is it going to be a quick peck, or closer to making out?"

"This sounds complicated. Should I be taking notes?" Katherine was only partially joking.

"Kath, you tore up all your notebook paper, remember?"

"Right. Continue."

"It's only a first date, so if you do kiss, it's probably not going to be more than a quick kiss on the lips, like this. May I?" Katherine nodded.

The kiss was over as soon as it began. It really was nothing special, and it felt more friendly than romantic. Even so, Katherine felt like she was going to melt into a puddle when Sarah pulled away.

"That's as far as you guys will probably go tonight. Think you can handle that?"

"Yeah, I think I'm good with that. But what if we _really_ like each other and it goes a little further?" This wasn't very likely, but Katherine didn't want their lesson to end just yet.

"Then I'm sure you'll do just fine, Kath." Sarah smiled. Even so, Katherine thought she looked a little sad, although it was hard to tell in the dark. "Listen, I have to get home. Good luck on your date."

With that, Sarah pushed the door open and slipped out, leaving Katherine standing in the closet with the door slightly ajar.


	2. Chapter 2

Katherine's date with Jack Kelly was really nothing fancy at all. He insisted on paying, (even though Katherine had offered, many times) so they went to a rather small, but still very nice little diner not far from their school. The man who owned it, Mr. Jacobi, seemed to know Jack, and he brought them more french fries whenever they ran out. Nevertheless, Katherine wasn't enjoying it as much as she thought she would, and her mind kept drifting back to Sarah.

“Katherine?” The sound of Jack’s voice brought her back to reality. “You okay? You seem really quiet. I don't know about you, but I usually like to talk to the person I'm on a date with.”

Katherine smiled at his comment. “I'm sorry, Jack. I know, I'm kind of distracted right now. It's just something that happened today with Sarah.”

Jack leaned forward in his seat. “What happened? Are you guys okay?”

“I mean… I think so? I'm not entirely sure.”

“Did you have a fight?”

“No, nothing like that. It's just that…” Katherine paused to think about how she could avoid telling Jack she'd kissed Sarah in a dark closet. “Something happened, and now things are weird with us. I tried texting her, she didn't answer. I tried calling, nothing. I'm just so confused, Jack. She's my best friend, I don't want to lose that just because we kissed.”

It was a moment before Katherine realized that she had just said exactly what she's been trying figure out how to avoid bringing up seconds before.

“Sorry, you _kissed_ her?” All that was in Jack's voice was surprise. He didn't sound upset, but Katherine was sure that he would be.

“If we're being technical, _she_ kissed _me_.”

“Either way. Was it _romantic_?”

“Jack, please don't be mad—”

“Why would I be mad?”

“Well, because… we're on a date? And I kissed someone else literally three hours ago?”

“It's just a first date, Kath. It's nothing serious.” He took a sip from his milkshake. “What, did you think you were cheating on me or something?”

“What? No! I just didn't want you to to feel like I didn't like you.”

“ _Do_ you like me?”

“Of course I like you.”

“In a romantic way?”

Katherine had to think about it for a moment.

“Okay, so I'm going to take your silence as a _no_.”

“Thank you, I really didn't want to say it.” Katherine felt oddly relieved at the fact that she didn't have to date Jack. “I just don't think we're compatible in a romantic relationship. I really hope we can still be friends, though.”

He smiled. “I was hoping the same. Now, as your official new friend, I'm going to help you through your issue with Sarah. Tell me what happened.”

“Oh.” Katherine was surprised by how willing he was to help her, but she was grateful nonetheless. “Okay, right now?”

“No better time than the present.

“We're going to need a lot more french fries.”


	3. Chapter 3

“Jack! Is that you?” Medda Larkin, Jack’s foster mom greeted him from the living room as he entered through the back door just a few minutes before his midnight curfew. Katherine's problem was not an easy one to work through. 

“Yeah, it's me.” He was about to head upstairs to his room, when he heard faint groaning and bed springs squeaking. “Are they really up there again? It's the third time this week!”

“I know.” Medda looked up from her book. “They don't even know I'm home. I honestly don't know what they think I'm doing that would keep me out this late.”

“I'm sure they'll stop soon.”

“I sure hope so. In the meantime,” Jack braced himself for the question. “How was  _ your _ date?”

“It was fine.” 

“Just fine?”

“I mean, it was fun and all, but Kath and I aren't really compatible. Her words.” He added when Medda gave him an odd look. It wasn't every day that Jack used large vocabulary words correctly.

“You guys had a good time though?”

“Yeah. She's really great. I just think we're better off as friends.” Jack purposefully left out the part where Katherine had realized that they couldn’t possibly be anything more. He couldn’t even be disappointed. She was so happy, she hugged him and cried. (He also cried.)

“That's good to hear. You need more friends who'll stop you from jumping off the roof onto a trampoline, instead of videotaping your attempt.”

Before the conversation could build off of her comment, Jack heard his foster brother, Spot Conlon running down the stairs.

“Medda! Jack! Race and I were just doing homework upstairs, that's what we were doing, okay?” He said, frantically buttoning his shirt.

“Oh, Racetrack is here?” Medda asked, because as much as she loved her foster sons, she also loved messing with them. “I didn't hear anything.”

Spot froze. “Of course, you didn't! He's, um, really quiet—”

“That's a lie,” Jack mumbled.

“Anyway, he  _ is  _ here, and I'm telling you that because we have nothing to hide.”

“Clearly.”

“So, anyway, how was your date, Jackie-Boy?” Spot was obviously desperate to change the subject.

“Oh, look at that, you've lost the right to know anything about my life.” Jack hated being called Jackie-Boy. He picked up one of his art magazines and pretended to ignore his brother.

“Come on, man! Tell me about Katherine!”

“Nope, sorry, don't feel like it.”

“Please?”

“I told Medda and you missed it. This is your fault.”

“Tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me—”

“Fine!” Jack dropped the magazine beside him on the couch. “She was really nice, but we decided we're better off as friends. We ate a lot of french fries. Happy?”

“No, but that's obviously all I'm getting out of you, so I'm going back upstairs.”

“Back upstairs to—”

“Go to hell, Jack!”

About a half hour later, Race was to the one to run down the stairs. 

“Jack! How was you date?” He asked. He had a surprised look on his face as he said it, suggesting that he was not aware of the two other people in the house.

“It was fine. Kath—”

“You know what?” Race interrupted, looking at his watch. “I actually have to get home really soon, so tell me about it on Monday at school, okay?”

“Are you seriously passing up your chance to tease me about this?”

Race ran to the door, and struggled with it for a few seconds before realizing it was locked. He unlocked it, and pulled it open.

“Hey, Race!”

The blond boy turned back around and stood in the door frame.

“Your shirt is buttoned wrong.” Jack smirked.

“Go to hell, Jack!” Race said as he ran off into the darkness.


	4. Chapter 4

The following Monday, Katherine went a few blocks out of her way to meet Sarah at her apartment and walk to school with her, but when she arrived, she was greeted instead by a tall, well-dressed boy.

“Katherine! I didn’t expect to see you here,” David, Sarah’s twin brother, said.

“Really?” She was confused. “Sarah and I always walk to school together.”

“It’s Monday,” he reminded her. “Sarah has soccer practice Monday mornings.”

“Right!” Katherine kicked herself for not remembering. “Sorry, Davey. I’ll just go now.”

“Well, I was right about to head out, if you wanted to walk with me.”

“Really? That would be great.”

Katherine didn’t speak again until she and David had exited the lobby. She looked around to make sure there wasn’t anyone around that she kind of knew and took a deep breath.

“David, I have to tell you something right now.”

“Yeah? What’s up?” He looked at her intently.

“Well,” There was no turning back now. “You know how I went on a date with Jack last night?”

“Oh yeah! How’d that go?”

“Well, turns out we are _not_ perfect for each other.”

“Why not?”

“Because… well, It’s like…” Katherine realized she was stalling. “I realized I don’t even like boys.”

“You’re…?” He didn’t even need to say it.

“Yeah. _I’m_.”

David smiled, like he was trying to contain a laugh.

“What?”

“Nothing, sorry.” He turned to look at her. “It’s just ironic that you figured this out while you were on a date with a guy.”

“Actually, Jack was the one who figured it out.”

“ _Jack_? But he’s the least observant person I’ve ever met!”

“I know!” Now Katherine was the one laughing.

“Anyway, I’m glad you told me.”

“I’m honestly shocked it’s taken this long. I’ve never told anyone about it, but I don’t think I ever really thought I was straight.” She sighed. “I guess I never really thought about it at all until…”

Katherine and David walked in silence for a few minutes before Katherine spoke again.

“Dave? Would you do me a favour and not tell anyone at school? I really don’t want this getting back to my father.”

He took her hand and squeezed it. “Of course, Kath.”


End file.
